


The Echoes Sound Like You

by fizzyblogic (phizzle)



Category: All-American Rejects
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Genderswap, M/M, Sexswap, WIP Amnesty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-23
Updated: 2011-02-23
Packaged: 2017-11-14 16:21:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/517246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phizzle/pseuds/fizzyblogic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I started this in late 2007, I believe, because I thought a college AU where they were all women would be kind of badass. I have this whole huge file of notes, which I will include at the end, and it would be awesome if I could finish this but ... it just hasn't <em>been</em> there in a really long time. At this point, I don't think the inspiration for this will ever come back :/ So, because I like this 'verse, here are the prose and notes. AU wherein all four of them (and other people from other bands) are cis women and in college together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Echoes Sound Like You

There were signs on the doors, two names on each. Flyers had been shoved into her hands on the way from the car, trapped now between her fingers and the large box she was carrying. She counted off the rooms; seven on the left from the stairwell, eight, nine — there. A sign stuck to the door read

**NICOLA WHEELER  
TYLA RITTER**

Nick had no hands free, so she balanced one corner of the box on her knee — almost losing six flyers in the process — and fumbled the handle down. As the door swung open, she tried to grasp the loose corner of the box again; she managed, but the flyers fluttered unceremoniously to the floor and she cursed quietly.

“Here,” said a voice, “you want some help with that? You’re Nicola, right?”

Nick barely glanced up, not that she could see much over the box anyway. “Yeah, I am, and thanks but I’m good. If I can just —” She squeezed her way into the room and set the box down on the empty bed. The other was covered in the contents of a bag lying at the foot of it. Nick shook her hair out of her eyes, turned around, and forgot to breathe.

“Hi,” said the girl, the same voice as before, light, pleasant, and she was the most beautiful thing Nick had probably ever seen in her life. The light streaming in from the window seemed to halo her hair for a second, and Nick was surprised when a chorus of angels didn’t start singing. “I’m Ty,” the vision continued.

“Nick,” Nick replied, absently. “No one calls me Nicola, not since middle school.” She was vaguely aware that she sounded stoned, or possibly just half asleep. There wasn’t enough sound to her voice. She cleared her throat and looked away, blinking. “Uh. Guess I’d better —” She waved her hands at the flyers still lying in the open doorway.

Ty shrugged. “I’ve got about twenty of those, just toss them in the trash.”

“Right.” Nick closed her eyes in the few moments it took to crouch down and grab them. _Get a fucking hold of yourself, Nicola. She’s just a girl, okay? A beautiful, amazingly gorgeous fucking **model** who you have to share a room with for a year, but it’s **no big deal** , okay?_

She straightened up. Ty pointed at the trash can, and Nick dropped the flyers into it. “So,” Ty said, shoving some of the debris on her bed to one side so she could sit on it, “I guess we’re roomies then.”

Nick rumpled her hair nervously. “I guess,” she replied, moving over to stand behind the box on her bed, as if it could protect her from the fucking _supermodel_ sitting across the room. “I’d uh, I’m gonna start unpacking, so.”

Ty made a face. “Go ahead. I’m avoiding doing mine for as long as I can. You just watch, it’ll be next March before I’m finished.”

“That’d drive me nuts.” It was easier to talk while ripping the box open and sorting through the contents. She started pulling out bundles of clothes, rolled up posters, stacks of CDs.

“Oh god, are you one of those neat freaks?” Ty shoved more things aside and sank down onto her elbows, propped up to watch as Nick folded her shirts and stacked them in one of the drawers near her bed.

“I’m not really a _freak_ about it,” Nick protested, “I’m just, y’know. Tidy.”

Ty stretched her legs out. She was wearing a dress that only covered half of her thighs, and her legs seemed to go on forever. “Just so long as you don’t mind my side of the room being messy, we’ll get along just fine.”

“I don’t mind.” Nick laughed, sudden. “We’ll be like The Odd Couple, won’t we?”

Ty laughed too, a quick sound, easy. “Yeah, you with your neatery and me with my slobbishness. God it’s so nice to be allowed to just be messy.” At Nick’s glance, she elaborated, “My mom’s kind of insane. She made me keep my room as neat as a _pin_. That’s how she always says it. ‘Neat as a _pin_ , Tyla. I want to see my face in that rug!’” Ty laughed, slipping out of what was probably quite a good imitation of her mother’s sharp tones.

“Ah. You’re rebelling.” Nick grinned. “My parents never cared how I kept my room, ’s long as nothing was like, growing in there. But that was all my sister, cultivating new life forms under the window. I just like things where I can find them.” She located a box of tacks and started hanging up the posters she’d packed.

Ty raised an eyebrow. “Bon Jovi, huh? That guy’s hot.”

“Hell, _I’d_ do him, and I’m not into dudes,” Nick nodded, smoothing the poster down and sticking the final tack in the bottom right corner.

“Oh.” Ty was watching her now, curious. “Really?”

Nick held her arm out. She was wearing a rainbow wrist cuff, and Ty raked it with her eyes before nodding. “It’s not a problem, right?” Nick asked, tensing apprehensively.

“No,” Ty replied. She was still watching her, head tilted to the side. “Got a girlfriend or anything?”

Nick swallowed, wondering if Ty was testing her out. “No, not since — no.”

Ty didn’t say anything else, just nodded. She opened her mouth as if to start speaking, but then a shrill rendition of the Macarena emitted from somewhere on the bed and she had to hunt for a minute before locating her phone. Her face lit up. “Bri,” she said, when she’d flipped it open. “How’s it going in Chicago?”

Nick turned back to her unpacking, trying not to listen in.

“Aww, I miss you too. … Yeah, it’s alright here. Sharing a room with this nice girl, you’d like her. Well, we only just met, but — shut _up_ , B-Rob, that — I’m — fine. _Yes_ , okay, and _oh god yes_ so shut. Up. … Stop laughing. … I hate you. … No seriously, I _hate_ you. You are the worst boyfriend _ever_ , when are you coming to visit?” Nick couldn’t help but glance over, though she tried to make it look like she wasn’t. Ty was pouting at the phone. “Br _i_ an,” she wheedled, “you said you’d _visit_. … I know, but — I said shut up!” Ty laughed. “If you say so. No. No, that’s what _you_ said. No, _you_ said it — fine. I love you too. Dumbass.” Her voice held so much affection Nick wondered how it didn’t leak all over everywhere. She stabbed the side of the box with the pair of scissors she found at the bottom, keeping her face impassive. “Okay. You go have fun with Tom. … I’m _hanging up now_. Jackass. You’d better fucking email me tonight. Yeah, whatever. Love you, bye.” She flipped the phone closed.

“That your boyfriend?” Nick asked, thankful that years of practice meant her voice sounded perfectly normal.

“What? Oh.” Ty had been grinning, but it dropped. “Uh. Yeah, I — yeah.”

“How long have you been together? Sounded kind of,” Nick paused. _Why the fuck am I doing this?_ “Serious,” she plunged on.

“Bri? I — I mean, I’ve known him like, _my whole life_ , he’s my best friend. Our parents have practically had us married off since we were six.” She was laughing, but stopped abruptly when Nick didn’t join in. “Guess that’s … not really funny if you don’t know our moms.”

Nick shrugged. “Yeah, one of those you-had-to-be-there things.” She attempted a smile, and it didn’t feel _too_ forced. “Think I’m gonna go find where the good coffee in this place is. Wanna come?”

“I kind of met some people, they said they’d swing by here soon and pick me up. Uh. You could hang out with us, if you want.” Ty fiddled with her phone, turning it over and over in her hands.

Nick shrugged. “I feel like a walk. So I guess I’ll … see you later then, Ty.”

“Yeah. Um — Nick?” Nick was at the door by the end of the pause, but she turned back. Ty was standing sort of awkwardly. “I’m not — I —” She stopped, deflated. “I’m gonna like being your roomie.” She smiled, and Nick quirked up the corners of her mouth to return it, then fled to the relative darkness of the corridor.

She managed not to bump into any of the people teeming around, and made it outside. The sun beat down on the campus, students and their parents milled around saying goodbye or carrying bags inside, and more people tried to accost her with flyers. She shook her head and barrelled through the crowds.

There was a small coffee shop half a block away. It was packed, and Nick carried her cup around it trying to find a table for two minutes, before two girls in the corner beckoned her over.

“Looking for somewhere to sit?” one asked. She had blonde hair and wore a shirt with the name of some obscure band Nick had seen play once.

“Yeah, I don’t think there’s any room here,” Nick sighed.

The other girl, who had brown hair and a warm, inviting smile patted an empty seat next to her. “Yeah there is. Come sit down.”

“Thanks.” Nick set her cup down and sat, smiling at them. “I’m Nick, I just started — you’re from the college, right?”

“Sophomores,” the blonde one nodded. “I’m Chris, this is Mike.”

Nick tilted her head and Mike said, before she could ask, “It’s short for Michelle, but I’ve been just Mike since I was five. I got four brothers.”

“Ah.” Nick nodded. “I only have the one sister, but uh. Wearing your Pride button to school and kicking the ass of anyone who tries to call you Nicki, that’ll get you called Nick forever.” She shrugged. “I like it better than Nicola.”

Chris nodded. “Suits you more. So Nick,” she shifted closer, conspiratorial, “did you get the flyer about the Lesbian Alliance meetings?”

“We go to them,” Mike added. “If you were too, you could go with us. Good to have some company, right?”

Nick grinned, relaxing. “It’s just nice being in a place where they _have_ shit like that. You know?”

“We’re from Okie City,” Chris nodded, as if that meant something. At Nick’s blank look, she added, “ _Oklahoma_.”

“Oh. Right.”

“What about you?” Mike sipped her coffee, looking at Nick with open curiosity and friendliness. It was kind of hard not to smile when she looked at you like that.

“Ohio. Small town, everybody knows everybody else. I’ve been out since I was like, seven, just because it was always kind of obvious and nobody can keep a secret.” Nick sat back, sipping her cooling coffee and looking around at the crowded shop. “You guys?”

“ _Not_ out at home,” Chris sighed. “I mean, our friends knew, and like. Mike’s mom knew, because Mrs Kennerty is the best thing since someone said, hey! I’m tired of using a damn knife all the time, I want bread to come _already sliced_.”

Mike tilted her head at Chris and said to Nick, “She just likes her because she bakes her things.”

“ _Amazing_ things,” Chris said, eyes wide. “Things of _beauty_ and _wonder_ that could make your taste buds explode with goodness. Her strawberry-chocolate cake is like an orgasm in your mouth. It’s _incredible_.”

Mike leaned closer to Nick and whispered, “She gave me the recipe before I left, told me it was just in case I could get to an oven.” She winked. Nick laughed.

“I wish _my_ mom was cool like that. I get the feeling she mostly just … tolerates it. You know? I mean, my sister’s already married and pregnant, it’s not like she won’t have grandkids.”

Chris folded her arms on the tabletop. “That just pisses me off, the whole grandkids thing. Who’s to say I _won’t_ have a kid, just because I don’t like guys? Sperm banks,” she started ticking off on her fingers, “adoption — hell, a willing friend and a _turkey_ baster could end up in a kid. Who I like to bang has nothing to do with what kind of a mother I’d make.” She sat back. From the way Mike was smiling at her, it was a well-worn rant, probably more elaborate the more times she said it to someone. Mike, clearly, had heard the full thing.

Nick nodded. “Oh, absolutely. I don’t _want_ kids, but try telling my parents that has nothing to do with liking girls. They won’t listen.”

“My mom’s totally cool about it,” Mike piped up. “Like, she said to me, it doesn’t matter to her if any of us kids have kids of our own, as long as we’re happy. So.” She shrugged.

Chris turned to Nick. “See? Sliced bread, I’m telling you.”

“Dude, can your mom adopt me?” Nick asked. Mike laughed.

“You know, everybody says that. Come visit my house, she probably will.”

Before Nick could reply, a gaggle of loud girls walked through the door. “Ugh,” Chris’ lip curled. “Sorority girls.”

Nick glanced over, mostly because they were making so much noise — and stopped. “Hey, that’s my roommate,” she hissed, moving closer to Chris.

“Really?” Mike craned her neck. “Which one?”

“The uh, the one in the dress with the butterflies on it — see, yeah, there, she’s talking to the blonde girl in the pink. Good _God_ that’s a lot of pink.”

“Seriously? That tall one in the black chucks?” Chris watched Ty for a minute. “That’s your roommate?”

“Yeah.” Nick’s eyes followed as Ty was handed a drink by another girl.

“Looks like she might not be your roommate for long,” Mike observed. “She is totally getting poached by those sorority chicks.”

Ty was starting to look around the shop, and Nick dropped her eyes to the table. “I guess,” she said, feeling her heart sink into her shoes.

When she looked up, Mike was grinning at her.

“What?”

“You totally have a crush on her, don’t you?”

Nick felt her face get hot and threw an involuntary glance to where Ty was grabbing a handful of napkins. “Come on, you have eyes, right? That work?”

Mike snorted. “She’s hot, Nick, yeah. But look at her, just — she’s acting like she owns the place, all stuck up and regal. Princess,” she rolled her eyes.

Nick looked over again, but all she saw was Ty smiling at three of the girls, who were clustered around her talking earnestly. “She’s not like that,” she said, quietly, only realising as she heard the words that she’d said them. She glanced at Mike and Chris, who both looked skeptical. “She’s _not_ , okay? She was really nice to me before.”

“Yeah. Well. See how she is when she’s a — whatever this sorority is.” Chris patted her hand. “We saw it last year with some of the girls we knew. They get Greek letters in their group name, they turn into bitches. Sorry Nick, but that’s the way it is.”

Nick looked over at Ty again, as the group made their way back to the door. Ty’s eyes did one last sweep of the place, raked over Nick, Chris and Mike’s corner — and she did a double-take.

“Shit, she’s coming over,” Nick breathed, as Ty said something to the girls around her and started making her way over, weaving effortlessly between the tables. “Just don’t — just.”

“It’s alright,” Mike leaned over to whisper, and Nick caught the scent of vanilla. She tried to breathe normally.

“Hey Nick,” Ty beamed as she reached the table. “They’re waiting for me,” she jerked a thumb back towards the door, “but uh — there’s this party going on tonight, want to come?”

“Okay yeah. Thanks.”

“Alright. See you at home later?” Ty wasn’t looking away.

Nick hoped she wasn’t blushing. It felt like she might be. “Yeah, yeah uh. See you there.”

Ty waved slightly at Mike and Chris, who offered her smiles, and then she was gone.

“See?” Nick said when she’d got her breath back. “She’s really nice.” She sipped her coffee, glancing up to catch the last of the look Mike and Chris shared. “What?”

“Nothing. So,” Mike leaned on her elbows, “you got any plans for today? Besides the party, I mean.”

Nick shrugged. “Not really. Why?”

“We could show you around, if you want.” Chris slung her arm over Nick’s shoulders. “Give you the guided tour.”

“Sounds great.” Nick drained the last of her coffee cup.

Their guided tour of the campus largely consisted of, as Mike put it, “Shit the website don’t tell you.” In the space of an hour, Nick learned where exactly is not advisable to walk after dark, the location and unspoken rules of the makeout spots — nearly exclusively boy-girl, though you’d find the odd boy-boy among them, until you get to the designated gay spots — not to mention where to find the cheapest used books for class, usually with notes already scrawled in the margins, as well as the path back to the dorms that gets blocked every Saturday by the football team on their way to practice. The sorority and fraternity houses were whizzed past; Mike and Chris stopped only to point out which had the best open-house parties and which were more like grope-a-thons for straight boys. By the end of it, Nick’s head was practically spinning, but she definitely knew she could find her way home in the dark.

“Without getting axe-murdered,” Chris nodded.

“They’re a hazard, are they?” Nick asked. “Axe murderers, I mean.”

“Only on Wednesdays,” Mike said, deadpan. “There’s a meeting, Axe Murderers Anonymous. Really, they shouldn’t supply the axes at things like that.”

The tour ended at Nick’s dorm building. “Where do you guys live?” she asked, as they stood sort of awkwardly at the entrance.

“We got this tiny apartment just off-campus with a friend of ours,” Mike said. “You’d like her. You should come over some time — I mean, you’ll meet her at Lesbian Alliance, but it’d be fun to hang out.”

“Yeah, yeah it will. I guess I’d better,” she waved at hand at the building.

“Alright. Hey — what are you doing for lunch tomorrow?” Chris asked.

“Nothing?” Nick shrugged. “Don’t have any plans yet.”

“Want to hang out again? Same time, same place?”

Nick could feel a grin spreading across her jaw. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

Mike gave her a quick hug, just a squeeze. “See you tomorrow, then.”

Chris matched the squeeze. “That place does good sandwiches,” she said, eyes crinkled in a smile.

Nick practically skipped up the stairs. She didn’t realise she was beaming until Ty looked up when she opened the door to their room. “You look happy,” Ty observed. She was lounging on her bed, which was only a little less messy than before. A laptop was nestled on her pillow, and she rolled back over onto her stomach to continue tapping at the keyboard.

“I was hanging out with Mike and Chris,” Nick said, by way of an answer. Not that there’d been a question, but she felt like there had anyhow. “What time’s this party?”

“We have a couple hours. I’m gonna grab a shower soon, I’m just emailing Bri.”

“Right.” Nick deflated, and flopped onto her bed to cover it up. She reached over for her own laptop, safe in a drawer under her bed. She plugged it in and powered it up.

The sound of tapping, and the whirring of Nick’s laptop starting up, was all that broke the silence for a minute. Then the shrill Macarena buzzed into life again, and Ty flipped open her phone. “Bitch, I was just emailing you.”

Nick concentrated on the screen in front of her, watching as the icons appeared in the system tray.

“Yes. For fuck’s sake, she’s — _yeah_ she is, so you’d better — _Brian Robinson_ , you utter —” Ty broke off and laughed. She didn’t say anything for a minute, just kept bursting into fresh giggles. Nick checked the wireless connection and opened Firefox. “I hate you so much. I am going to a party tonight and — how did you guess?” Ty ducked her head and laughed harder. Nick hit the toolbar button marked ‘email’. “Stop it, _stop it_ ,” Ty gasped, after a minute. “I’m hanging up now. _Hanging up now_. Check your email in five minutes. Asshole,” she added as an afterthought.

Nick started typing as Ty closed her phone.

**TO:** “Jeff”  <ontheslab@gmail.com>  
 **SUBJECT:** kill me now

oh god.

road trip was fine. america’s pretty. glad cleveland is okay. make sure you don’t cross that kung fu dude, i don’t want to find you in bits when i go home for christmas.

ny’s nice. the state, since we’re not in the city. made a couple friends, we’re hanging out some more tomorrow.

my roomie is a nightmare.

okay not a nightmare. more like a fucking vision. she has these _legs_ that go on _forever_ like, no joke, seriously. forever. and she wears these fucking skirts that are like, are you kidding me? you don’t want to cover your legs up a _little bit_? maybe in the winter she’ll turn into like, an eskimo and wear only snow suits, but i’m not holding out much hope. she looks like a fucking model, jeff. a _model_. and she’s so _nice_ and we’re going to a party and god i need to get drunk. _so drunk_.

her name is ty. she has a boyfriend called brian.

fuck.

 

-Hide quoted text-  
 **TO:** “Nick”  <dreammeoffmyfeet@gmail.com>  
 **SUBJECT:** (no subject)

hey nick -

how was the road trip? i miss you. cleveland is okay, i’m sharing a room with this dude who knows kung fu and shit. i think he’s studying japanese history but i could be wrong.

hope you’ve got a good roomie. call me tomorrow?

\- jeff.

 

 

\------------  
OKAY SO here are my notes.

 

**Nicola's high school years**

When Nicola was in middle school, everyone went through a phase of trying to call her Nicki.

She hated it.

Thankfully, by the time she started high school, she had persuaded her mom to let her cut her hair short, started wearing faded rock band shirts and wristcuffs and going on Pride marches, so everybody ended up just calling her Nick. Or "dyke". The fact that she was also a band geek and kind of smart didn't help either; her best friend Jeff used to say, "You're a geek nerd dyke, I'm a dorky computer weirdo, all we need's someone from chess club and we'd have a full set."

"Either that, or we'd make great sidekicks for a superhero," Nick would reply.

Attempts were made to stuff Nick into lockers over the course of her high school career, but Mrs Wheeler had taken her daughters to karate and judo and kickboxing classes to balance out the ballet and piano and tap dancing classes they also took, so Nick knew approximately six different ways to kick the ass of anyone who tried anything. After freshman year, during which she was hauled into the principal's office seven times for fighting, everybody seemed to get the message and left her alone. So alone, in fact, that she pretty much only had Jeff and a handful of other nerds for friends. They called themselves "A plethora of social outcasts" and hung out every weekend to watch movies, and not one of them ever laughed at her for the Janice thing.

In her senior year, Nick was partnered with Bethany Colt in chem class. Bethany was a cheerleader, but more importantly, Bethany was the best friend of Maria Jones, who Nick had had a crush on since _third grade_. Maria and Bethany were dating twin brothers, who were both on the football team and were the reason Nick always stayed at the back of band for the games. (She hated Will Robertson from afar and with obscene jealousy.) So Nick was surprised, one day when she went to Bethany's house to try and get a project finished before Mr Frankson killed them in their sleep — "He knows where we live, Nick! _Literally_! I wouldn't put it past him!" — to find only a smiling Bethany where she'd expected to see a pile of notes.

"Um?" she blinked.

"Nick," Bethany purred, which was weird, because firstly, _what?_ , and secondly, everyone at school knew Luke had just dumped Bethany so why was she looking so _pleased_ with herself? "Did I ever tell you I'm bisexual?"

Nick just swallowed.

"Only, I know you're a great big dykeface, and by the way if you tell _anyone_ about me being bi, I will tell Maria about your little crush on her in front of the _entire school_ , is that clear? You don't scare me, Nicola Wheeler."

Nick nodded. "That, uh, that's clear. Is — um, is she —"

"Maria is straighter than I thought was physically possible when you hang out with so many hot girls in their underwear. Believe me, I tried. What, did you think _you_ were my first choice? Lowest common denominator, geekbrain." She raised an eyebrow. "I need sex, with a girl, who won't tell anyone, and even if she did everyone would just think she was saying it because she had a crush on me. So? What about it?"

And okay, so Bethany was a cheerleader and a bitch and a heart-breaker, but she was also _hot_ and Nick by that time badly, badly, _badly_ wanted to get laid. So she said, "Okay."

After three months — during which Nick discovered that she really liked cunnilingus — Bethany got back together with Luke three days before the Prom. Nick chalked it up to experience and avoided the entire Prom night, getting drunk with Jeff and Leah and Martin and Tony and Kevin instead, watching Star Wars and comparing Chewbacca impressions.

 

**Tyla's high school years**

When she was six, Tyla was approached by a model agency for the first time. She thought it sounded okay, but her mom said she wasn't allowed to model until she turned eighteen, and by the time she was ten she found out what models actually _do_ and decided it sounded like the most boring thing in the universe.

Tyla Jane Ritter was born into Society. Growing up in the Hamptons, with _very_ rich parents, she was totally spoiled as a child. Her mother is a formidable woman who keeps the society and rules and values of 1800s London alive and well in Long Island. Her father is madly in love with his wife even after thirty years, and adores their daughters to bits. (Bailey comes along when Tyla is ten.) Ty is Daddy's little princess, and secretly he would be fine with the gay thing. Mrs Ritter, however, would not be. She and her best friend Maddy Robinson run the social network and are the most enormous bitches. Anybody homosexual, related to someone homosexual or still friends with someone homosexual is given the cold shoulder and quietly exiled from society. They want to keep the circle of "good _homemakers_ " intact.

Maddy has a son, Brian, who was born on the same day as Tyla. The kids hated each other until they were six, when at a party Brian caught Tyla watching her mother mix the punch and, because he was bored, asked what she was doing.

"Watching to see if she puts poison in it," Tyla whispered. "I wouldn't put it past her."

Brian decided, at that moment, that Tyla was okay. By the end of the party they were jitterbugging in the flowerbeds, and from then on they were inseparable.

At the age of sixteen, during one of those long summer afternoons where they lie in the grass and talk about everything, a lull appeared in the conversation, into which Tyla said, "So you're gay too, right?"

Brian didn't answer for a minute. "Too?" he said at last. Tyla rolled over to squint at him.

"I like girls, B." She poked him. "And you totally like boys. I've known you forever, remember?"

"Stupid twin sister." He poked her back. "So? What's your point?"

"My _point_ is that your mom would kill you. My _point_ is that my mom would kill me. My _point_ is that you can't get away with making out with Jack Dohman and his dad'll totally get sacked and your mom never stops talking about how awesome Mr Dohman makes the gardens look and it would _suck_ if he got fired."

"How did you know about Jack?" Brian swallowed.

Tyla just rolled her eyes. "I've known you _forever_ , dumbass."

"Whatever, jerkface."

Tyla poked him again.

Brian sighed. "Alright, out with it."

"What?" Tyla tried not to grin.

"You're going to suggest some crazy solution to this problem of ours." Tyla tried to look innocent. Brian snorted. "Known you forever, dumbass." He poked her arm.

"Okay, okay, but don't laugh. Now, I _know_ your mom's going to try and set you up with Lucy Bastet, I heard them talking about it. And you know your mother, she'll _make_ you date girls."

Brian groaned and hid his face in his hands.

" _Unless_ ," Tyla continued, "you already have a girlfriend. Someone she approves of. Someone she _knows_. Someone she's practically betrothed you to since birth."

Brian raised his eyebrows. "Are you offering yourself up as a pretend girlfriend? Also — _betrothed_?"

"Yes, and we so are if our moms have their way. What do you think? You get your parents off your back, I get my parents off mine, I don't have to actually _date_ a boy, and you can make out with Jack Dohman all you like. So? Are we on?"

"I —" Brian paused. "That's actually a really good idea, Ty. _Yes_. Our moms will be happy, we get to do what we want, and no one has to know but us."

"We already go to like, dances and stuff together," Tyla pointed out. "Hey, we could go to Prom! I'd have a date for Prom." She was grinning.

Brian smiled at her. "You've always had a date for Prom, idiot," was all he said.

Ty had a group of girls she hung out with at school, mostly from the cheerleading squad or friends of the family. When they got to high school, Ty was basically expected to run the school's delicate social balance; look down on the geeks, date the good-looking football guys, chair dance committees and the like. At first, she tried not to take that role, but after finding that whenever she was nice to anyone they walked all over her but as soon as she was assertive they rushed to do whatever she asked, she decided just to be a bitch. It's the only way people know how to respond to her; she's tall, beautiful, rich, the daughter of the town's unofficial queen. Her upbringing has trained her in the role of princess and nothing else, so she acts like a princess. And it's _fun_ , as long as she doesn't think about the nerds and those lower down the social ladder than her. Brian is pretty much the prince of the town — the only son of the richest family — and they are the golden couple of the high school, voted Homecoming King and Queen. Behind closed doors, they wear ratty old shirts and Brian designs clothes while Ty's a total bookworm.

The thing about living in that kind of Society is, you can pretty much do whatever — or whoever — you like, as long as no one finds out. Ty is gorgeous, and likes wearing tiny skirts and dresses to show off her long, tanned legs. She makes out with the hot young maids, and the housekeeper's daughter, and any other hot girl who shows an interest and can keep a secret. Brian falls for Tom, the pool boy, at the age of seventeen, but Ty doesn't really fall for anyone. She gets fleeting, momentary crushes, but nothing that really lasts or makes its mark. She doesn't know what she wants to _do_ with her life, but figures college is good for stalling. She gets into one far enough away that she moves there, but close enough that she can go home sometimes. She misses her dad when she doesn't get to see him, they're pretty close. She's resolved to come out to him if she ever falls in love. She'll never tell her mom, but she wants her dad to know — when there's a reason for him to.

Brian got into a college in Chicago, just as Tom announced he was moving back out to Indiana to be with his family. It's as close as they can get to running away together.

 

**Michelle's high school years**

Michelle grew up in OK City, the only girl in a family of five kids. Her big brothers are one, three and seven years older than her, and she's three years older than her little brother. His name's Jonathan, the other three are Robert, Bradley and David.

Growing up, she's kind of a tomboy and shares toys and playfights with her brothers. They see her as one of their own so much that nobody has called her anything but Mike since she was five.

She's a pretty happy kid, perfectly normal. She laughs a lot, and by the time she hits puberty half the boys in her grade have crushes on her. The girly girls don't really know what to do with her; they can't pick on her (any attempts are just met with genuine and good-natured laughter) and they can't go on treating her like a boy, boys are to be flirted with. She's still pretty much friends with everyone, though; it's hard not to like a girl who smiles at you with sincere affection.

She works in Taco Bell all through high school and loves it. She quotes The Simpsons with Jonny, and one day when she's fifteen she tells him she likes girls. He just nods sagely and says, "Me too."

 

**Christina's high school years**

Christina grew up on the other side of OK City, until her family moved one school catchment area away from Mike's. Chris has a younger sister, Molly, four years her junior. Chris has always been a tomboy and becomes a little scrappy when she starts school. She's blonde, and cute, and harmless-looking but she can kick your ass to pieces if provoked. When she hits puberty she hooks up with a couple of boys to try it out but it does _nothing_ for her, and for two entire weeks she's convinced she's frigid, which is _weird_ because she totally gets horny, just not around boys. Then her best friend John sneaks her his sister's lesbian erotica and she has an epiphany: she's not frigid, she's GAY. She makes out with John's sister and has a couple of girlfriends. She's sort of butch, but not massively so; mostly because she's also a geek.

 

**Mike & Chris**

One night, the summer Mike turned sixteen, a group of what was obviously D&D nerds walked into Taco Bell. They claimed two tables and three of them came up to order the food.

Mike served a blonde girl with green eyes and a shy smile and she had to get her to repeat the order twice because her brain had stopped working.

"Sorry," she said when they finally got the order right. "Been a long day, I guess."

"It's okay," the girl replied. "I'm Chris, by the way."

"Mike. So um, I haven't seen you in here before."

"Yeah, we usually go to the Arby's four blocks away, but John had a jones for tacos."

"Well, I'm — glad you came here."

Chris's smile widened. "Yeah, me too. So uh, are you doing anything? Later, I mean?"

Mike just beamed. "I get off at ten."

Their first date mostly consists of walking around until they find a deserted park, then just sitting and talking for hours and hours. Then Mike just leans over and kisses her, and they're both still smiling and they don't stop kissing for a whole hour.

Nothing about the relationship is rushed. They date, make out, meet each other's friends, make out some more, spend hours and hours talking and getting to know each other's secrets, make out some more, and then eventually, after seven months of dating when they're finally ready, they start having sex. They experiment with it, make it more playful and fun, and slowly learn each other's bodies, where to touch, where to stroke, where to lick, where to breathe. By the time they reach college, they can make each other come in two seconds or make it last for hours.

 

**Lesbian Alliance**

Nadine (OC) -- 4th year, majoring in History, runs Alliance  
Gabrielle Saporta -- 3rd year, majoring in Religious Studies  
Wilhemina Beckett -- 2nd year, majoring in English, friends with Ry  
Rhianna Ross -- 1st year, majoring in English, dating Bden, friends with Will  
Brenda Urie -- 1st year, majoring in Music, dating Ry  
Francesca Iero -- 1st year, switches major from Physics to History, likes Bob  
Roberta Bryar -- 2nd year, shares apartment with Mike&Chris, double major in Physics & Engineering, single but likes Frankie  
Greta Salpeter -- 1st year, double major in Music & English, single, Ty thinks she's totally precious  
Michelle Kennerty -- 2nd year, majoring in Film Studies, dating Chris  
Christina Gaylor -- 2nd year, majoring in Environmental Science, dating Mike  
Nicola Wheeler -- 1st year, majoring in Music, falling for Ty

 

**Nick's band, Lick the Cat**

Keyboards/vocals — Greta  
Drums — Bob  
Rhythm guitar — Frankie  
Bass — Bden  
Lead guitar — Nick

 

**Nick/Mike/Chris threesome: rough notes**

One night, Nick goes round to Mike and Chris's to hang out, talks about how Ty was going out and looks amazing and it's not _fair_ and " _God_ I need to get laid." Chris says, "You know, if you want, we could help you with that." They make out, have sloppy three-way kisses, Mike asks if Nick has ever tried strap-ons. "No, I — with my ex, we never — no." and Mike kisses her earlobe and says, "Want to try it? I'll be gentle." Nick swallows and nods, Chris says she wants to watch. She helps Mike on with it while they eyefuck, then Chris kisses her and murmurs, "Do me after," and Mike nods and bites her lip, then fucks Nick. She likes it _so much_ , it's slow and delicious and Chris makes out with her and Nick is SO TURNED ON. Mike keeps her on the brink for what feels like _forever_ and then Nick finally comes like a fucking express train. Then Mike flips onto her back and Chris rides her hard, one finger on her own clit while Nick can only watch and feel her skin sing. Chris comes hard and then takes the strap-on off Mike, who's whimpering — "Never quite _get there_ with that on, but fuck, it's kind of almost better to watch you." Chris asks Nick, "Want to do something about that?" Nick nods and gets between Mike's legs, goes down on her and it only takes a few minutes for Mike to come. Then Chris pulls Nick backwards into her lap and whispers into her neck, "You're still turned on, aren't you?" Nick breathes, "Fuck yes," and sighgasps when Chris sinks Nick's hips onto the strap-on she's now wearing. She tilts them back a little and Mike crawls up and starts sucking on Nick's clit. They don't let up until Nick has come four more times, and by the third she's shaking and practically sobbing and _dying_ with want, and she has never been so thoroughly fucked in her _life_. They curl up after, naked and sweaty and glowing, and Nick goes back to her room the next morning to grab some clothes and a shower before class, and she's singing as she walks.

(Ty sees her and has to whirl around and bite her lip to keep from whimpering.)

 

**Nick/Tyson getting together: rough notes**

One night when they're drunk, Ty kisses Nick. Chris and Mike say to Nick that she has to find out if Ty meant it, boyfriend or no. Nick goes back to the room, Ty comes in and says, "I've been looking for you — uh. About last night."

Nick: "You remember."

Ty: "Yes. And I wanted to tell you that — that Brian isn't my boyfriend."

Nick: ?_?

Ty: "Look, I'm gay. So's he and we can't — it's complicated. But I'm not like you, I can't just come out, where I come from it's — Nick, I like you. I really like you, I've been dying to make out with you since I _met_ you and I ... lost you at gay, didn't I?"

Nick nods absently.

Ty: "Nick. Nick, look at me. Brian's my cover story. I'm his. We have to, for our parents, at least for now. But I — fuck, Nick, I can't stand being around you any more and not getting to _touch_ you, it's driving me _crazy_."

Nick rushes and kisses her; Ty pushes her back against the door. Nick moans, Ty goes for her neck. Nick: "I'm pretty much just — fuck, just at the — Ty, you could just _touch me_ and I'd —"

Ty touches her hip, slides a hand up Nick's shirt and brushes the pad of her thumb against her nipple. Nick shuddermoans.

Ty: "Shit, this wasn't — this isn't how it's mean to _go_ , Nick! I wanted to ask you _out_ and take you on a _date_ and have fun and _then_ bring you back here and bang your brains out, that's how this is _supposed to go_."

"Can we," Nick pants, "skip the date and go to banging my brains out? _Please, Ty_."

"Fuck." Ty takes her over to the bed, takes her clothes off and eats her out until she's come three times; the first as soon as Ty's tongue touches her. Then Nick eats her out and they curl up naked and can't stop kissing.

 

**timeline**

• first day — party at sorority house that's trying to woo Ty; guitarist of the band is called Dan Osbourne  
• Nick starts having lunch with Mike and Chris every day, and going to parties with Ty a lot of nights. She usually ends up losing Ty in the crowd, but she spots a couple of people from Lesbian Alliance and her other classes there so she talks to them. She and Ty end up going home, both drunk, having heart-to-hearts into the small hours sometimes.  
• band begins in the first few weeks of the semester  
• six weeks into the semester is the threesome  
• six weeks or so after that, Nick and Ty finally get together, three weeks before winter break  
• Nick visits Ty over Christmas and sees what she's up against.  
• Ty visits Nick over spring break and they go to the fair together. They make out at the top of the Ferris wheel.


End file.
